Pastors Credentialing Orientation 2012
Brian Cooper and Doug Heidebrecht
Overview
- Mennonite Brethren Convictions
- Mennonite Brethren Hermeneutics
- Confessing our Faith
- Mennonite Brethren Discipleship
- A Reconciling People
British Columbia
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106 churches (19,545)
24 churches (2282)
30 churches (3217)
38 churches (6321)
32 churches (4595)
10 churches (575)
5 churches (235)
Mennonite Brethren in Canada
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A conviction is a persistent belief or persuasion that cannot
be relinquished without making you a significantly
different person than before.
Mark 12:30 - “Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your mind and with
all your strength.”
James Wm. McClendon, Jr. and James M. Smith, Convictions: Defusing Religious Relativism, rev. ed. (Valley Forge: Trinity Press, 1994), 5.
Convictions are expressed in what we actually say and do.
Romans 10:9-10 - “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is
Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him
from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your
heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with
your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Community convictions are the shared persuasions and
beliefs that guide thought and shape life. These often
form a discernable conviction set.
Ephesians 4:4-6 - “Make every effort to keep the unity of
the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one
body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope
when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all, who is over all and through
all and in all.”
Core convictions are merely convictions made explicit.
Myth: Core convictions are non-negotiable elements of our
theological identity, unlike other convictions, which can
be traded away or relinquished if necessary.
Fact: Changing convictions changes identity. All
convictions arise in a context, and for specific reasons.
What sets aside core convictions is the manner in which
they have developed, and the degree of specificity
concerning their content.
God
Revelation of God
Creation and Humanity
Sin and Evil
Salvation
Nature of the Church
Mission of the Church
Christian Baptism
Lord’s Supper
Discipleship
Marriage, Singleness, and Family
Society and State
Love and Nonresistance
The Sanctity of Human Life
Stewardship
The Lord’s Day, Work, and Rest
Other Faiths
Christ’s Final Return
- Biblicism
- Conversion
- Family
- Church
- Evangelism and Missions
- Discipleship (Nonresistance)
- Eschatology (Premillennialism)
A.E. Janzen, Mennonite Brethren Distinctives (Hillsboro: Mennonite Brethren Publishing House), 1966.
- Commitment to the Bible
- Conversion that resulted in a transformed life
- Redeemed community as a brotherhood
- Obedient discipleship
- Evangelism and mission
J.B. Toews, “Influences on Mennonite Brethren Theology,” Symposium, Winnipeg, November 21-22, 1980, Box 8, Folder B, No. 1, Centre for MB
Studies.
- Searching the Scriptures
- Encountering Jesus as Lord
- Reconciling People
- Valuing Covenant Community
- Extending the Kingdom
Mennonite Brethren Herald, May 17, 1996, 7.
- Conversion
- Believer’s Baptism
- The Bible
- Church
- Discipleship
- Mission
- Peace Witness
“MBBS Theological Witness Statement” In Touch, Fall/Winter 2008, 5.
What is at the center of our convictions?
Mennonite Brethren Convictions
Reveals
God
Unique
Saviour
Jesus
Christ
Head of the
Church
Model of
Discipleship
Lord
of
Mission
Mennonite Brethren Convictions
Bible
Jesus
Christ
Mennonite Brethren Convictions
Bible
Jesus
Christ
Church
Mennonite Brethren Convictions
Bible
New
Life
Jesus
Christ
Church
Mennonite Brethren Convictions
Bible
New
Life
Jesus
Christ
Church
Disciple
ship
Mennonite Brethren Convictions
Bible
New
Life
Jesus
Christ
Church
Proclamation
Disciple
ship
Mennonite Brethren Convictions
Bible
New
Life
Jesus
Christ
Church
Proclamation
Disciple
ship
Incarnation
Mennonite Brethren Convictions
Bible
Spirit
New
Life
Jesus
Christ
Church
Proclamation
Disciple
ship
Incarnation
Mennonite Brethren Convictions
Bible
New
Life
Jesus
Christ
Baptism
Church
Proclamation
Disciple
ship
Incarnation
Mennonite Brethren Convictions
Bible
New
Life
Proclamation
Jesus
Christ
Disciple
ship
Lord’s
Supper
Church
Incarnation
Mennonite Brethren Convictions
Bible
New
Life
Jesus
Christ
Church
Proclamation
Disciple
ship
Incarnation
Reconciliation
Mennonite Brethren Hermeneutics
Bible
Jesus
Christ
Disciple
ship
Mennonite Brethren are biblicists.
MB Confession of Faith – Article 2: The Revelation of God
We believe that the entire Bible was inspired by God through the
Holy Spirit. The same Spirit guides the community of faith in
the interpretation of Scripture. The person, teaching and life of
Jesus Christ bring continuity and clarity to both the Old and New
Testaments. The Old Testament bears witness to Christ, and
Christ is the one whom the New Testament proclaims. We
accept the Bible as the infallible Word of God and the
authoritative guide for faith and practice.
But to say that Mennonite Brethren are biblicists does not provide a
clear picture regarding how we have read the Bible historically.
1. Implicit Theology
2. Community Hermeneutics
3. Naivety about the Hermeneutic Problem
4. Affinity with other Evangelicals
When faced with a question or issue in the church, Mennonite
Brethren insist it must be answered from the Bible, “What
does the Word say?”
Mennonite Brethren have not been concerned with creating a
systematic doctrinal framework that could make sense of
the content of faith.
The significance of Scripture is supported by the evidence of
new life and a walk of discipleship.
Mennonite Brethren have practiced what Robert Friedmann called an
“implicit theology.” This has both pros and cons.
On the one hand, an implicit theology has proven dynamic and flexible for
Mennonite Brethren.
On the other hand, J.B. Toews acknowledges, “an implicit faith can be
sufficient for a church movement as long as it exists in the context of a
homogeneous culture with a prescribed lifestyle that expresses the
movement’s understanding of faith and practice.”
But what about when it does not?
J.B. Toews, Pilgrimage of Faith: The Mennonite Brethren Church, 1860-1990 (Winnipeg: Kindred Press, 1993), 180.
Mennonite Brethren have adopted what has historically been called
biblical theology as our defining approach to the study of the
Scriptures.
In contrast to the philosophical categories employed by systematic
theology to construct a logical doctrinal system, biblical theology
seeks to synthesize the biblical material using biblical categories.
Rather than creating polarizing positions based on different
perspectives or theological camps, biblical theology seeks to
sensitively read the text using the best interpretive tools available,
and to live with the emphases and tensions within the text.
To say that we do biblical theology is not to say that others do
unbiblical theology, or that Mennonite Brethren have not,
or do not, study the bible systematically.
We study Scripture believing that there is a consistency and
coherence underlying biblical revelation than demonstrates
the consistent faithfulness of God.
But our biblical interpretation lives with the tension between
the conviction that God is consistent and our human
inability to completely resolve apparent inconsistencies in
the text.
But Mennonite Brethren have not made consistent efforts to
clarify just what the preferred approach to the text actually
is, which has caused problems.
For example . . .
Case Study #1: Eschatological Positions
Amillennialism
Post-millennialism
Pre-millennialism
Pre-tribulation
Mid-tribulation
Post-tribulation
Bible
Case Study #2: Inerrancy Debate
“The real test of whether we hold to the doctrine of inspiration is
not to be found in man’s inadequate attempts to define the
mysteries of God’s revelation in the Scriptures but in our
willingness to live according to the teachings of the Word of
God...Lindsell’s book is of no help in this arena. Indeed, the
reader can easily be deceived into thinking that if only he has the
right definition of inerrancy, he is already a true and faithful
follower of Jesus, Lord of the Scriptures.”
– David Ewert
David Ewert, Review of The Battle for the Bible by Harold Lindsell. Direction 6, no. 2 (April 1977): 40.
Case Study #2 (cont’d): Inerrancy Debate
“For thirty-five years I have preached and taught the Word in
the Mennonite Brethren Church...Never once have I even
suggested that the Scriptures may be in error. Indeed,
when faced with what appear to be insoluble problems of
interpretation (and every sincere and informed Bible reader
knows about such), I have always proceeded on the
assumption that the Bible is correct, even though my
understanding of it may be far from perfect.”
– David Ewert
.
“To accept the Bible as the Word of God was for them an
exercise of faith that found its verification of genuineness
in a life of obedience to the teaching and life of Jesus.
There was no room to question its divine origin and
character or to doubt that it was sufficient for the
redemptive purposes of God.”
“The effort to produce a system of logic as proof
for the absolute trustworthiness of the Bible
and the struggle to defend the ‘inerrancy’ of
the Scriptures diverts attention from the center
of the Bible, that of the person of God in Christ,
and from the Holy Spirit who is the authority to
guide us into all truth.”
J.B. Toews, “The Influence of Fundamentalism on Mennonite Brethren Theology,” Direction 10, no. 3 (July 1981): 23-24.
1987 MB General Conference Resolution on Inerrancy
“That we identify with those who confess the inerrancy of the
original documents of the biblical books.”
“That we recognize that the precision of any person’s
definition of revelation and inspiration (including our own)
is not necessarily an index of his or her spiritual depth or
faithfulness to God and his Word.”
Although Mennonite Brethren have not always agreed
regarding how the biblical text ought to be interpreted, we
have generally been resistant to theology which has sought
to impose extrabiblical concepts (e.g., the philosophically
modern idea of inerrancy) upon the text.
Mennonite Brethren are open to those who use inerrancy
language, but have not made this language part of our
confession. In our confession, we “accept the Bible as the
infallible Word of God and the authoritative guide for faith
and practice.”
Biblical
Text
Reader
Doctrinal
Statement
Biblical
Text
Reader
Doctrinal
Statement
Reader
Biblical
Text
Reader
Doctrinal
Statement
Reader
Reader
Biblical
Text
Reader
Doctrinal
Statement
Reader
Biblical
Text
Confession
of Faith
Reader
Biblical
Text
Confession
of Faith
Reader
Reader
Biblical
Text
Reader
Reader
Confession
of Faith
Reader
Biblical
Text
Reader
Reader
Confession
of Faith
Reading the Bible requires us to understand both the world
of the Bible and our own contemporary context. The
hermeneutic problem emerges as one seeks to discern how
best to bridge the distance between these two contexts.
Mennonite Brethren biblicism has tended to ignore the
hermeneutic problem with its emphasis on a
straightforward reading of the biblical text.
Meaning
Significance
Biblical
Text
Reader
Hermeneutic
Problem
How do you enter into the world of the Bible?
Cultural Context
Biblical Context
Biblical
Text
Situational Context
Reader
Meaning
Significance
Biblical
Text
Reader
Hermeneutic
Problem
How do you relate the text to our situation?
Cultural Context
Personal Context
Biblical
Text
Reader
Situational Context
“[Some] reject the hermeneutic problem as not a real problem
because of their assumption that what constitutes the
proper literal reading of the text is unchallengeable. If you
do not read the texts the way they do, you don’t believe.
There is no hermeneutic problem; you just have the
problem of getting along with all these unbelievers!”
“The more naïve one is about the hermeneutic problem, the
more rapidly one moves to accusing other readers who see
texts differently of evil purposes.”
John Howard Yoder, Preface to Theology: Christology and Theological Method (Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2002), 273, 367.
“But we should never take the fatal step of identifying our
interpretations (however careful they may be) with the text itself,
or with the ‘meaning of the text itself.’ To do so is to bestow
upon them a finality, a sufficiency, which lifts them above the
text and out of the reach of criticism.
Far from establishing the text’s authority, therefore, this is a
strategy which effectively overthrows it, and enthrones our
interpretation in its place…[We] are no longer genuinely open,
therefore, to consider it afresh, or to hear it speaking in any other
voice than the one which [we] have now trapped, tamed, and
packaged for observation.”
Trevor Hart, Faith Thinking (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1995), 138.
Mennonite Brethren Hermeneutics:
Community Hermeneutics
Bible
Jesus
Christ
Church
“…due to our human limitations…we are bound to disagree
on the interpretation and/or application of certain
passages…We have to keep talking with each other. This,
of course, is in the best Anabaptist tradition, for these
‘radical Bible readers,’ as they were called, were confident
that the Spirit would guide them if they met together in
community to study the Scriptures.”
- David Ewert (1974)
David Ewert, “The Christian Woman in the Church and the Conference,” Roles and Resources (Vancouver: Faith
and Life Convention of the Canadian Mennonite Brethren Churches, 1974), 22-23.
Early Anabaptist Approach
“When someone comes to church and constantly hears only
one person speaking and all the listeners are silent, neither
speaking nor prophesying, who can or will regard or
confess the same to be a spiritual congregation.”
Stuart Murray, Biblical Interpretation in the Anabaptist Tradition (Kitchener: Pandora Press, 2000), 160.
Early Anabaptist Approach
The Rule of Christ
Matthew 18:18-20 – “Truly I tell you, whatever you (pl.) bind
on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you (pl.)
loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell
you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it
will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two
or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
Early Anabaptist Approach
The Rule of Paul
1 Corinthians 14:29 – “Let two or three prophets speak, and let
the others weigh what is said.”
The Jerusalem Conference
Acts 15:28 - For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to
us...
Early Anabaptist Approach
- The gathered community is the location for biblical
interpretation.
- The Spirit is an interpretive Partner and Enabler.
- Plain sense of Scripture is available – Sola Scriptura and the
right of private interpretation.
- Community of disciples in disciplined conversation.
Early Anabaptist Approach
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Public discussion
Openness to affirmation and correction
Communal consensus
Mutual counsel and church discipline
Broad-based participation
 educated and non-educated
 male and female
 young and old
1987 MB General Conference Resolution on the Confession of
Faith
“We practice a corporate hermeneutic which listens to the
concerns of individuals and churches, but discerns
together the meaning and intent of the Scriptures. This
safeguards our denomination from the extremes of
individualism and private interpretations, but allows for
free study and discussion.”
“Resolution on the Confession of Faith” General Conference Yearbook, 1987, 44.
1969 MB General Conference Resolution on Consensus and Change
in Respect to Ethical Issues
1. Why seek consensus on ethical issues?
a) The sum total of spiritual insight and understanding of any
Christian group exceeds the sum total of such
understanding of any one person of that group.
b) Individuals may develop certain “blind spots” in
interpretation and understanding.
c) Standing together with a group in the practice of certain
action gives encouragement and strength which the
individual alone does not have.
General Conference Yearbook, 1969, 11.
Consensus and Change in Respect to Ethical Issues
2. Why changes will and must occur.
a) The church of Jesus Christ is a living church…As the
understanding of God’s Word and Will grows, the life and
conduct of the church will have to be modified to reflect this
growing understanding.
b) The church must also experience a growing understanding
of the world in which it lives and works and witnesses…
Such changes must always be made in uncompromising
obedience to the Word and Spirit of God.
c) Situations and relationships in the world change.
d) Changes do occur because of the church’s concern for
evangelism and carrying out of the church’s mission.
General Conference Yearbook, 1969, 11.
Consensus and Change in Respect to Ethical Issues
3. Criteria of consensus and change.
a) The Word of God constitutes the abiding and unchanging
authority for the Christian in all matters of faith and
conduct.
b) While each individual Christian is to be involved in the
process of interpretation and application to some
extent, such action should occur within the context of
the brotherhood and not in isolation from it.
c) Any change in ethical position should be motivated by the
desire to be more obedient, more loyal to the Will and
Purpose of God as understood by His children.
General Conference Yearbook, 1969, 12.
Recent Canadian Mennonite Brethren Study Conferences
Spiritual Warfare - 2001
Rite and Pilgrimage: Baptism and Church Membership – 2003
Women in Ministry Leadership – 2004-05
Culture, Gospel and Church – 2007
Confessing Jesus in a Pluralistic World – 2009
The Mystery of the Cross - 2011
Biblical
Text
Christian
Traditional Evangelical Hermeneutics
Biblical
Text
Christian
Mennonite Brethren Hermeneutics
Christian
Biblical
Text
Mennonite Brethren Hermeneutics





Biblical interpretation attempts to discern meaning from
the intent of the original author in that author’s context
This is a starting point, but does not restrict the text to a
single meaning
Other interpretations may be gleaned from the text, subject
to the discernment of the community, the broader witness
of Scripture, and the canonical theological tradition
Due care is given to the literary style of the text as well as
nuances in language
Biblical scholarship can address many of the concerns and
mitigate many of the problems of biblical interpretation,
but significant questions will nevertheless remain. After all,
we are only human.
Issue #1:
“How can we be people of the Book with people who are
biblically illiterate?”
– John Neufeld, The Meeting Place, Winnipeg
“We are in danger in the Evangelical church of becoming
utter biblical illiterates and the Evangelical church is right
now in serious danger because there are so few people who
really know their Bibles well. Seriously. And that’s
especially true of 25-year olds and under. They don’t have
a clue about the Bible…”
- Gordon Fee, Regent College
Gordon Fee, “Why Christians Read Their Bibles Poorly,” Regent College Lecture, 2001.
Issue #2:
“The non-creedal orientation of the Mennonite Brethren gave
them the liberty to fellowship with people from other
evangelical bodies whom they considered to be ‘true
believers.’”
“We had opened ourselves to the influences of our American
evangelical environment without any provision for
examining the emphases and assertions of such
influences.”
– J.B. Toews
J.B. Toews, “The Influence of Fundamentalism on Mennonite Brethren Theology,” Direction 10, no. 3 (July 1981): 20-21, 22.

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Fragmented practice of personal Bible reading
Minimal Bible reading during church services
Less expository preaching
Limited Bible study…of the Bible
Lack of balanced Bible reading
Our perception of spirituality emphasizes experience more
than learning
Mennonite Brethren origins do not derive from doctrinal
considerations as much as concerns about personal
holiness and personal discipleship.
Mennonite Brethren hermeneutics and theology have always
retained an emphasis on community from early
Anabaptism, combining it with an evangelical emphasis on
transformation and mission.
Mennonite Brethren Convictions:
 Take as a given the sum total of orthodox doctrine in the
Christian tradition
 Have borrowed eclectically from compatible source traditions:







Mennonite/Anabaptist
Lutheran
Baptist
Allianz (German Brethren)
Emphasize the centrality of Christ as a norm
Emphasize the authority of Scripture as a source
See theology as a dynamic process rather than static
 Confessions of Faith are revisited over time, and revised as necessary
When Mennonite Brethren began in 1860 they insisted they
were in complete agreement with the existing Mennonite
Confession of Faith.
1853 Rudnerweider Confession of Faith
(1st published by Mennonites in 1660)
15 articles
1876 Revised German Baptist Confession
(written by Einlage MB Church)
Added sections on:
Believer’s baptism
The Lord’s supper
Church discipline
Foot washing
Role of government
Use of the oath
Never formally adopted by any other MB congregation
1902 MB Confession of Faith
(1st confession written by the Mennonite Brethren)
Other Mennonite group in Russia was doing a revision
Incorporated some sections of the Einlage Confession
Writers closely followed the words and phrases of the 1660
confession in at least 15 of the 25 major topics discussed.
1975 MB Confession of Faith
(1st North American revision – 7 drafts)
The primary motivation was to use contemporary language
that was readable and understandable for youth.
1999 MB Confession of Faith
(U.S. and Canadian Mennonite Brethren)
1987 – Call for confessional integrity
1990 – Revised articles on “Love and Nonresistance” and
“The Lord’s Supper”
1993 – Realization the entire confession needed to be revised
1999 – Approved by the MB General Conference
1999 MB Confession of Faith
Full Version – 18 articles
Sidewalk Version - introduction to MB beliefs
Digest Version - all 18 articles in abbreviated form
Commentary - presenting the biblical background
Pastoral Application – reflecting on significance in the life of
the church
Liturgical Version - for use in worship
1999 MB Confession of Faith
God
Revelation of God
Creation and Humanity
Sin and Evil
Salvation
Nature of the Church
Mission of the Church
Christian Baptism
Lord’s Supper
Discipleship
Marriage, Singleness, and Family
Society and State
Love and Nonresistance
The Sanctity of Human Life
Stewardship
The Lord’s Day, Work, and Rest
Other Faiths
Christ’s Final Return
2004 ICOMB Confession of Faith
Part 1 - How does God work in the world?
Part 2 - How do MBs respond to God’s purpose?
- People of the Bible
- People of a new way of life
- People of covenant community
- People of reconciliation
- People of hope
1853 Mennonite Confession of Faith
15 articles
5250 words
1902 MB Confession of Faith
10 articles
6500 words
1975 MB Confession of Faith
16 articles
2450 words
1999 MB Confession of Faith
18 articles
4850 words
2004 ICOMB Confession of Faith
2 parts (5 core convictions) 1420 words
Old Testament References
OT
Genesis
Exodus
Deuteronomy
Psalms
Isaiah
1853
1902
1975
1999
2004
65
5
3
6
17
11
117
15
5
6
36
25
19
6
2
1
3
4
90
17
12
5
27
5
11
2
1
0
2
2
New Testament References
NT
Matthew
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
Ephesians
Revelation
1853
1902
1975
1999
2004
259
43
27
27
19
14
17
14
696
85
80
80
67
50
33
54
118
20
8
13
14
7
12
4
325
35
31
24
39
23
26
13
73
13
5
5
5
6
6
2
Descriptive of What the Bible Teaches
1987 MB General Conference Resolution on Confession of Faith
“Our Confession of Faith, in being descriptive, affirms a high
view of biblical authority. Final authority rests in the
Scriptures. Our Confession of Faith represents our corporate
understanding of the message and intent of the Scriptures,
but is authoritative to the extent that it is biblical. Because it
is ‘descriptive,’ it is also not a closed statement of faith, but
open to periodic review and revision.”
1987 General Conference Yearbook, 68.
Descriptive of What the Bible Teaches
1987 MB General Conference Resolution on Confession of Faith
“In the process of review and revision, however, the Scriptures
and not our Confession of Faith is normative. We practice a
corporate hermeneutic which listens to the concerns of
individuals and churches, but discerns together the meaning
and intent of the Scriptures…The product of this process is
binding for all churches.”
1987 General Conference Yearbook, 69.
1981 MB General Conference Resolution
“In the preface to our Confession of Faith it is stated that
confessions of faith are not to be given equal status with the
Bible. That is in keeping with our position that the Bible is
our highest authority and that our understanding of it is
never perfect, and that we must, therefore, always be open to
new light.
However, when we accepted the present Confession of Faith
in 1975, that represented our church’s understanding of the
main doctrines of the Scripture, and such a Confession can
be changed or modified only when our conference comes to
a new understanding of some article in our confession
through the study of the Scriptures.”
1981 General Conference Yearbook.
Normative for Mennonite Brethren Churches
The Confession of Faith is normative because it summarizes
what we believe the Bible to teach.
1987 MB General Conference Resolution on Confession of Faith
“The Confession does not give liberties to individuals and
churches to disregard or teach doctrines that are not in
agreement with our Confession of Faith. In this sense it is
binding for our churches…Pastors, teachers and conference
officers are expected to affirm and teach the Confession of
Faith.”
1987 General Conference Yearbook, 68-69.
Normative for Mennonite Brethren Churches
We ask “that all pastors, teachers and Conference officers
agree in principle to affirm and teach the Confession of
Faith. Many of us struggle from time to time with certain
statements in the Confession of Faith, especially some of
the implications of the confessional statements we make.
Such struggles bear testimony to our vitality as leaders and
as a people. We believe that such struggles are compatible
with agreement in principle. Our call is for a principled
confessional integrity, not a legalistic confessional rigidity.”
Board of Reference and Counsel Statements, 1987 General Conference Yearbook, 72.
Functions as a Hermeneutical Guide
The Confession represents a consensual understanding of how
Mennonite Brethren interpret the Bible. It assumes, rather
than creates the basis of, hermeneutical agreement.
“Asserting the authority of the Bible does not resolve
interpretive questions, and thus does not build church unity.
The unity of the church is forged only by consensus about
how to interpret the Bible, and thus how to live out its
teachings.”
John E. Toews, “The Meaning of the Confession,” Mennonite Brethren Herald, October 28, 1988, 7.
Mennonite Brethren Theology:
 Is not notable for a particular technique for biblical
interpretation except that it is christocentric in orientation
 Emphasizes a community hermeneutic, the authority of the
discerning community, more than important leaders
 Reveals a dynamic, two-way relationship between biblical
interpretation and theology
 Depends on the work of the Holy Spirit
 Revolves around transformation rather than knowledge
 Requires commitment to Christ as the sole allegiance – over
philosophical commitments, culture, even confessional
direction
Do changes to confessional content imply changes in doctrine?
 No. Confession is the contextualization of doctrine, arising
from the enduring truth of Scripture (sound doctrine).
 Sound doctrine is not an end in itself, nor is it static. It is
dynamic, orienting us toward confession, discipleship and
mission.
 Sound doctrine is the result of good theology, not the cause.
 Sound doctrine is the work of the Spirit-filled community,
reflecting on the witness of Scripture.
 Sound doctrine arises as the Spirit animates Scripture and our
theological tradition, allowing them to speak to us afresh.
 Sound doctrine is always contextualized; it is not timeless and
there are no short cuts to discern it or take it for granted.
Does Not Reflect a Two Tiered Approach
A typical approach for dealing with the diversity within
evangelicalism is to divide our faith into “essential” beliefs
that we all agree on and “nonessential” beliefs that could be
negotiable or optional.
Yet every confession reflects a particular stance or
commitment that embodies the faith of a community. Every
statement demonstrates the community’s expression to the
implications of Scripture for its context.
Does Not Reflect a Two Tiered Approach
“The two-tiered proposal separates belief from life, ethics and
discipleship…It says that intellectual acceptance of certain
doctrines is the criterion for faithfulness to the gospel and
that correct belief is more important than faithful living.
That is exactly the reverse of what the Bible teaches and
what the Anabaptist and Mennonite Brethren movements
are all about.”
John E. Toews, “The Meaning of the Confession,” Mennonite Brethren Herald, October 28, 1988, 7.
Mennonite Brethren Convictions
Bible
Jesus
Christ
Disciple
ship
Confessing Our Faith
Bible
Jesus
Christ
Church
Disciple
ship
Mennonite Brethren Discipleship
Bible
Hermeneutics
Jesus
Christ
Disciple
ship
Confession
Church
Mennonite Brethren Discipleship:
Following Jesus
New
Life
Jesus
Christ
Disciple
ship
We believe that Jesus calls people who have experienced
the joy of new birth to follow him as disciples.
MB Confession of Faith, Article 10: Discipleship
Mennonite Brethren Discipleship:
Following Jesus
Bible
New
Life
Jesus
Christ
Church
Learning from Jesus’ Teaching
Disciple
ship
Following Jesus
Imitating Jesus’ Life
Hans Denck - “No one can know Christ unless he follows
after him in life and no one can follow him unless he first
know him.”
Quoted in Stuart Murray, Biblical Interpretation in the Anabaptist Tradition (Kitchener: Pandora Press, 2000), 189.
By calling his followers to take up the cross, Christ invites
them to reject the godless values of the world and offer
themselves to God in a life of service.
Romans 12
Do not
conform
to this age
Present your bodies as a
living sacrifice
Transformation
Renewal of the mind
MB Confession of Faith, Article 10: Discipleship
Church members commit themselves to follow Christ in a life
of discipleship and witness as empowered by the Holy
Spirit.
The Holy Spirit, who lives in every Christian, empowers
believers to overcome the acts and attitudes of the sinful
nature. Filled with love and gratitude, disciples delight to
obey God.
MB Confession of Faith, Article 10: Nature of the Church
MB Confession of Faith, Article 10: Discipleship
The Description of a Growing Disciple is an attempt to
describe how our inner person is becoming a devoted
follower of Jesus, evidenced by changing behaviour.
Captivated and Committed
Thriving and Thirsting
Bonded and Building
Inviting and Influencing
Discerning and Disarming
Purposeful and Persevering
Carol Baergen, Being With Jesus: Devotions for a Growing Disciple. Winnipeg: Kindred Productions, 2004.
MB Mission - Interpersonal Values
Dependency on Jesus - We are moving beyond our comfort and
control, dependent on the ‘Lord of the harvest’ to lead and
resource us into His mission.
Risk-taking Obedience - Responding to the Spirit’s voice leads us
through a crisis of belief to risk-taking faith.
Transforming Community - Our relationships testify to the reality
of Jesus.
Relational Integrity - We move in team, committed to loving
relationships, transparent discussion, trusting authority,
accountable decision making and mutual respect.
Celebration - The joy of the Lord is our strength.
http://www.mbmission.org/discover/vision-and-values/core-values
Disciples are to resist worldly values and systems, the sinful
nature, and the devil.
Disciples give generously and reject materialism, which
makes a god out of wealth.
Disciples speak honestly to build others up and reject
dishonest, vulgar, and careless talk; they seek to avoid
lawsuits to resolve personal grievances, especially with
other believers.
Disciples maintain sexual purity and marital faithfulness and
reject immoral premarital and extramarital relationships
and all homosexual practices.
MB Confession of Faith, Article 10: Discipleship
Board of Faith and Life Pamphlets
Christians and War
What Should We Think About Suicide?
Finding Fulfillment in Retirement
When Someone has AIDS
Homosexuality: A Compassionate Yet Firm Response
When Marriages Fail
Making Good Viewing Choices: Videos, Movies, and TV
Materialism: Blowing the Whistle
Lotteries: The Payoff Isn’t What It Seems
Death and Dying
Why Not Just Live Together?
Mennonite Brethren Discipleship:
Mission/Reconciliation
New
Life
Jesus
Christ
Proclamation
Disciple
ship
Incarnation
Reconciliation
Christ commands the church to make disciples of all nations
by calling people to repent and by baptizing and teaching
them to obey Jesus.
Jesus teaches that disciples are to love God and neighbour by
telling the good news and by performing acts of love and
compassion.
Evangelism/Church Planting
Mission
Serve Needs
MB Confession of Faith, Article 7: Mission of the Church
We believe that God in Christ reconciles people to himself
and to one another, making peace through the cross.
As ambassadors for Christ, Christians act as agents of
reconciliation and seek the well-being of all peoples.
Disciples treat others with compassion and gentleness and
reject violence as a response to injustice.
Reconciled to God
Reconciliation
Reconciled with each other
MB Confession of Faith, Article 10: Discipleship; Article 12: Society and State; Article 13: Love and Nonresistance
1902 MB Confession of Faith
No one may practice revenge against his enemies. We also do
not feel justified to carry the sword.
1919 General MB Conference Resolution
For on the matter of war we believe and confess, that the way
it is waged by the western powers, it is manifestly contrary
to the principle of the kingdom of Christ, and therefore our
members are forbidden to participate in it. We much more
have to wage a spiritual warfare against the powers of
darkness, that rule in the air.
1936 General MB Conference Resolution
As a Mennonite Brethren Church we declare our opposition to
war in any form and our determination to practice peace
and love.
True love for our country does not demand hate towards
another country. It is our conviction that the practice of the
principles of peace, love, justice, liberty and national and
international goodwill serve towards the highest good for
our country as well as that of all mankind...We choose it
because we consider any activity which destroys or causes
loss of human life as unjust and contrary to true
discipleship of the Prince of Peace...We are against war as
a means of settling differences because war is unchristian,
it destroys, it works in opposition to the highest and noblest
values of man and because it sows the seeds of future wars.
1948 Board of Reference and Counsel Statement
The Committee of Reference and Counsel deeply regrets that
we have brethren in our churches who do not live according
to the teaching of Jesus and the Apostles in their personal
lives but in times of war desire to be non-resistant. Such
inconsistent Christian living darkens our testimony before
the world and causes young people to look upon the
principle of nonresistance which we confess in our
churches, negatively and with disdain.
During World War II approximately 37.5% of Mennonite men
in Canada served in the armed forces.
John B. Toews, Abram G. Konrad, & Alvin Dueck, “Mennonite Brethren Church Membership Profile, 1972-1982,” Direction 14, no.2 (Fall 1985): 15.
J. Howard Kauffman & Leo Driedger, The Mennonite Mosaic: Identity and Modernization (Scottdale: Herald Press, 1991), 174.
1951 General MB Conference Resolution
That such as enter the Military Service to participate in the
work that destroys human life, shall be considered as
disobeying Principles of Scripture and our Confession of
Faith and in consequence can no longer be considered
members in good standing. It shall be our duty to continue
to love them and make them the object of our intercessory
prayers as erring brethren who must be sought in an effort
to bring them back into obedience of the Word of God.
Such as refuse to obey the due admonition shall be further
dealt with according to the Scripture and their membership
in the church discontinued.
1954 General MB Conference Resolution
Nonresistance is a biblical principle clearly exemplified by
Jesus Christ
Human life is sacred unto God, and a Christian has no right to
destroy life.
War is evil, brutal and inhuman...The nature of war remains
incompatible with the new nature of a regenerated Christian.
The practice of the redeemed in Christ demands every phase of
their life in all relationships, such as personal, social,
national, and international be governed by the supreme law
of love, and is not limited to an abstinence from military
service. It is a general attitude of the Christian as he seeks
the redemption of his fellowmen.
1968 Canadian MB Conference Resolution
We accept God’s total progressive revelation as found in the Old
and New Testament and in Christ, his exemplary life,
teaching and redemptive death as a basis for our peace
position.
Having received Jesus Christ personally by invitation and
having experienced a work of regeneration in our hearts by
the Holy Spirit, we consider ourselves non-resistant and
responsible for a peace witness. This distinguishes us from
the philosophical and political pacifists, who from a
humanistic point of view seek to advocate peace.
The Spirit filled life expresses itself in ... Peace is not superior
or inferior to other virtues mentioned in Scripture but in
conjunction with other virtues governs all our interpersonal
relationships.
1968 Canadian MB Conference Resolution
The Church speaks authoritatively in application of our
peace witness only when Scripture clearly speaks to the
issue; when Scripture is silent, the church seeks to
establish a brotherhood consensus to unite members in
their interpretation but leaves room for personal
interpretation and application to the individual.
1975 MB Confession of Faith
We believe that Christians should live by the law of love and
practice the forgiveness of enemies as taught and
exemplified by the Lord Jesus. The church, as the body of
Christ, is a fellowship of redeemed, separated people,
controlled by redemptive love. Its evangelistic responsibility
is to present Christ, the Prince of Peace, as the answer to
human need, enmity and violence. The evil, brutal and
inhuman nature of war stands in contradiction to the new
nature of the Christian. The Christian seeks to practice
Christ's law of love in all relationships, and in all situations,
including those involving personal injustice, social upheaval
and international tensions. We believe that it is not God's will
that Christians take up arms in military service but that,
where possible, they perform alternate service to reduce
strife, alleviate suffering and bear witness to the love of
Christ.
1981 General MB Conference Resolution
We are concerned that a goodly number of our church
members (including some pastors) view our position on
‘love and nonresistance’ as an optional doctrine. In some
churches this doctrine is not taught; in some it is even
opposed; and in some instances young men are even
encouraged to take up arms in military service. This we
consider to be a serious violation of our peace position and
of the teachings of Jesus, as we have understood these in
our history.
We should take no part in war.
1972
1982
1989
Total
54%
54%
56%
Canada
66%
70%
U.S.
42%
39%
John B. Toews, Abram G. Konrad, & Alvin Dueck, “Mennonite Brethren Church Membership Profile, 1972-1982,” Direction 14, no.2 (Fall 1985): 15.
J. Howard Kauffman & Leo Driedger, The Mennonite Mosaic: Identity and Modernization (Scottdale: Herald Press, 1991), 174.
1999 MB Confession of Faith
God’s Community of Peace
We believe that God in Christ reconciles people to himself and
to one another, making peace through the cross. The church
is a fellowship of redeemed people living by love. Our bond
with other believers of Jesus transcends all racial, social, and
national barriers.
1999 MB Confession of Faith
Christian Peacemaking
Believers seek to be agents of reconciliation in all relationships,
to practice love of enemies as taught by Christ, and to be
peacemakers in all situations. We view violence in its many
different forms as contradictory to the new nature of the
Christian. We believe that the evil and inhumane nature of
violence is contrary to the gospel of love and peace. In times
of national conscription or war, we believe we are called to
give alternative service where possible. Alleviating suffering,
reducing strife, and promoting justice are ways of
demonstrating Christ’s love.
1999 MB Confession of Faith
Pastoral Application
- discipline of children
- church conflicts
- physical/emotional abuse
- neighborhood crime
- alternative service
- racial tensions
- schoolyard fights
- violence in sports
- labor/management tensions - military conflicts
- abortion of unborn children - international disputes
- community based mediation services
- violence in entertainment (TV, movies, video games)
- Remembrance Day observation
2004 ICOMB Confession of Faith
People of Reconciliation - Peace Witness
Peace and reconciliation are at the heart of the Christian
gospel. Jesus calls the community of faith to be peacemakers
in all situations. We believe that peace with God includes a
commitment to the way reconciliation modeled by the Prince
of Peace. As Christians we are called to turn from lifestyle
choices that harm us, to choices that nurture wholeness,
healing, joy and peace from hating enemies and ignoring
neighbors to showing love and justice to all.
Christocentric Hermeneutic – progressive revelation fulfilled in
the life, teaching, and redemptive death of Christ is the key
to interpreting Scripture
Character of Christ – Jesus’ life of love is our pattern.
Spirit Filled Life – peace along with the other virtues must
govern our relationships
Value of Human Life – no one has the right to take another
human life.
Evangelistic Concern – killing removes any opportunity to
present the gospel
Nature of War - the practice of war is brutal, evil, and
inhumane
Duty to God over State – governments are ordained by God, and
even though Christians are subject to them, their allegiance is
first to God
Peacemaking begins with the Gospel
The heart of a theology of peacemaking is the reconciling work
of Christ on the cross. Jesus came to address the broken
relationship between God and humanity. In his sacrificial
death our Lord not only redeemed us but reconciled all
humanity into one.
Teaching on this article must start with the good news of the
gospel and develop out of a biblical concern for faithfulness
as disciples of Jesus Christ.
- Article 13: Commentary
Biblical Basis for a Mennonite Brethren Peace Theology
God of Peace
Gospel of Peace
Peace/Reconciliation with God
Reconciliation with each Other
Peacemakers
Nonretaliation
Love for Enemies
Christian Character
Forgive One Another
Peace in the Church
What is our relationship to the state?
Is our engagement in violence justifiable?
How is reconciliation related to mission? Are peace and
reconciliation inherent to the gospel message we are
called to proclaim in words and actions?
Are we willing to be peacemakers?
Mennonite Brethren Discipleship
Bible
New
Life
Jesus
Christ
Church
Proclamation
Disciple
ship
Incarnation
Reconciliation
Just War Theory - Conditions for War
Just Intention – motivation for war is not revenge or anger
but the restoration of peace and justice.
Just Authority – a lawful, legitimate authority must declare
war.
Just Cause – there must be a clear offense worthy of a
response
Last Resort – only when negotiation, mediation, and
compromise have failed can a war be engaged
Just War Theory - Conduct of War
Reasonable Hope of Success – war must promise a
reasonable hope of winning the war
Limited Ends – relationship between the methods one uses
and the ends one is trying to accomplish (questions
unconditional surrender, excessive force, and utter
destruction)
Proportionate Means – reasonable expectation that the good
result of war will exceed the horrible evils it brings.
Non-combatant Immunity – civilians are not to be attacked.